How the Mighty Have Fallen
by Owl Watcher
Summary: When someone places a curse on Kilgarrah, causing him to fall seriously ill, a stranger arrives in Camelot to beseech the help of the last Dragonlord.
1. Prologue

_I was reading fanfics when the plot bunny decided to nip my brain with this idea. I know I should be updating my other story, but writer's block is being exceptionally cruel to me this chapter. (btw, if any of you have suggestions for how the next chapter of The Wizards Duel should begin, please PM me. One I get a nice, solid beginning I'll have the next one up in no time.) Anywho, enjoy._

_Prologue_

Kilgarrah coughed roughly, and several tongues of flame burst from his mouth. He cleared his throat and shook his massive head to clear his vision, which had blurred suddenly. He shivered slightly, suddenly cold, and he curled deeper into the humongous woolen blanket draped over his scales.

"Garrah?" a voice behind him said worriedly. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, of course, my friend," the dragon reassured hastily. "Just fine. Probably a mild cold. It's nothing to get worried about."

"It's my job to worry for you," the other responded fondly.

"I know that, and I am grateful for all the worrying you've done over all the years we've been together," Kilgarrah said. "But you don't have to be this-"

He broke off with a wince and began to fiercely scratch his side. When he had finished, he looked at the itchy spot and nearly gasped. several of his scales, which were impossible to rip off, had molted from his side. He glanced over his shoulder at this figure sitting by the fire behind him, then turned back to the 'rash'. He examined the fallen scales. They were shriveled and soft, like old, dead scales that he shed when new, young ones pushed through to replace them. But it took years for his scales to age, and there were no new ones to replace them this time. _No, it couldn't be...it was impossible._

"Garrah? What's wrong?" The dragon's companion came away from the fire to Kilgarrah.

"No, no, stay where you are, I'm fine!" Kilgarrah exclaimed. His companion glared at him then noticed the scales. Gasping, the creature picked them up.

"These are a lot of dead scales, Kilgarrah."

The dragon winced. "Don't worry, I'm sure it's nothing."

"Oh, yes, nothing. that's why there's a bare patch on your side." His companion's arms crossed. "Garrah, what's going on?"

"It's really nothing!" Kilgarrah lied desperately. "I'm-I'm...I-"

And he suddenly collapsed in a dead faint.

_Tell me what you think, if you all could be so kind. I would greatly appreciate your thoughts. Was it alright? Was the dragon OOC? Please tell me so that the next one will be more accurate. Thanks!_

_OW_


	2. Chapter 1

**Alrighty, after much scrounging for imagination and painful lapses in the idea laboratory of my frying brain, the first chapter is completed. As usual, I don't think it's very good, but seeing as how I am my own worst critic and a complete perfectionist when it comes to any artistic thing that I do (yes, writing is an art), don't listen to a word I say. I'm hoping this chapter is clear and suspenseful, and that you all will enjoy it. **

**Special thanks to my awesome beta, **_TheJunebug1218_**. You're awesomeness!**

_Chapter 1_

"Rise and shine!" Merlin said cheerily, pulling back the curtains to allow the morning light to seep into the prince's chambers. Arthur groaned and turned onto his stomach.

"Go away," he mumbled into his pillow. "It's too early."

"Sorry, Arthur, I can't do that," Merlin said. "You have the council meeting at noon, remember?"

"Of course I do, _Mer_lin, I reminded you last night," Arthur yawned as he climbed out of bed. "Now hurry up and get my clothes. The blue shirt today."

Merlin opened the wardrobe and began rummaging through it. "Are you nervous?"

"For heaven's sake, Merlin, it's only a council meeting. I've been to plenty in the past," Arthur said, stepping behind the screen. "And I told you before, I don't get nervous."

"I know, I know," Merlin said, crossing the room and throwing the blue shirt over the top of the screen. "But it's the first one since your father has been well enough to take back on the responsibilities of being king."

"Yes, it is. What's your point?" Arthur asked testily. He stepped out from behind the screen and turned around for Merlin to help him into his jacket.

Merlin shrugged. "No point. Your father might be a bit more, I don't know, _jumpy_ than usual is all I'm saying."

"Jumpy?" Arthur repeated. He turned to face Merlin. "What does that mean?"

"I don't know. He just might not be as thoughtful in-"

Merlin broke off. His eyes widened momentarily, glazing over as though he was staring at something that wasn't there. Arthur peered closely at him and waved a hand in front of his eyes. Merlin didn't blink.

"Um, Merlin?" Arthur said. "Are you alright?"

Merlin blinked and looked at Arthur. "What? Oh, uh, right, I'll have your boots polished and your laundry washed before the council meeting. See you then!"

With that, he scooped up Arthur's clothes that were lying on the floor, dumped them in a basket, and left the room with suspicious speed, leaving a confused Arthur behind.

Merlin washed Arthur's laundry distractedly, his mind for once not focusing on how badly Arthur's sweaty socks stunk. He had felt something back in Arthur's room, a disturbance in his soul. It was as though someone was crying out for help, but no one could hear them. It felt so hopeless, so terrified. Nothing Merlin had ever experienced was close in comparison. Yet it had been so very faint and weak that Merlin wondered if he hadn't imagined it up. His mind had been wandering a lot since he had defeated Morgana and Morgause. He felt strong negative emotions on a regular basis, mainly worry and fear anchored to whether or not Morgause had survived her blow to the head and if she had told Morgana about his magic. But never had he felt hopelessness. He finished up the washing and hung them up to dry, then he began to head back to Arthur's chambers. He was nearly there when he saw Gwen coming up the hallway.

After the witches' defeat, Arthur had given Gwen a high position as the court seamstress. It was a higher salary than what she had received when in service to Morgana, and she was viewed with slightly higher respect by the knights and visiting nobles that had come to assist with Camelot's restoration after the invasion. But she was not in very good shape. She had dark circles under her eyes from having slept very little in the past five months, and her face was puffy from crying constantly. She jumped at every little noise, and she was always looking over her shoulder as if she thought she was being followed. She was fully aware of how Morgana hated her, and she knew that she would come for revenge.

"Hello, Gwen," Merlin greeted her. Gwen smiled weakly in return, and Merlin pulled her into a light hug. "I miss talking to you," he murmured. And it was true. No matter what, the two friends had always made time for each other, whether it was sharing lunch or just having friendly chats in the hallway, but ever since the invasion Gwen had become very distant.

"I know," Gwen responded, pulling back from the hug. "I miss you, too. Everything's just been so busy lately that I haven't had much time away from work."

"I have an idea," Merlin said. "After the council meetings, you know how Arthur and Uther usually stay behind to talk? Well, I don't have many chores today, and after the meeting I'm free to go. What say you that we go for a walk?"

Gwen hesitated. "I don't know, Merlin. I might have things to do, and-"

"Gwen, you haven't stopped working since we took back Camelot except to eat and sleep, and I've even seen you try to work while you're eating lunch," Merlin said softly. "Don't you think you deserve just a little bit of time for you?"

His friend smiled slightly. "I would love to, Merlin, but I still have work to do."

"Then get someone to cover for you," Merlin suggested. "And if you don't want to go for a walk, I can...take you shopping. Girls like doing that, right?"

Gwen laughed, causing Merlin to smile. "Alright. You've convinced me, Merlin. I'll tell Jane that I'm taking the afternoon off."

"Excellent!" Merlin said. "And if Jane gives you any trouble about it, tell me, and I'll let her know that it's my fault because I convinced you to leave."

Gwen giggled, then she smiled at Merlin. "Thank you, Merlin. Really."

"It's no problem," Merlin said. "I'll see you after the council meeting."

They embraced once more before parting. Merlin walked back to Arthur's room with a smile on his face, the disturbance from earlier nearly completely forgotten. Arthur was at his desk taking care of some paperwork when he arrived.

"Ah, Merlin," he said as his manservant entered. "There you are." He glanced up from the papers. "What's gotten you so happy?"

"I'm taking Gwen shopping after the council meeting," Merlin informed him as he set about to make Arthur's bed. "She's been working nonstop since we reclaimed Camelot, and she needs to take some time off."

"Shopping?" Arthur said slyly. "Going to buy another dress?"

"Yeah, I think it would be nice to get Gwen some-" He stopped when he realized what Arthur had said. "For the last time, Arthur, that dress wasn't for me!"

"Then who was it for?" Arthur laughed.

Merlin's face fell, and he turned away from the prince. "No one."

"Oh, come on, _Mer_lin," Arthur said. "Who was it for?"

"It doesn't matter." Merlin winced as his voice cracked, and he tried his best to hold back the tears. Ever since he had seen Freya again in the water and at the lake, the wound of her loss had reopened, and he was finding it harder to think about her. Unfortunately, Arthur did hear his voice crack.

"Merlin, are you seriously going to cry from embarrassment?" he asked, grinning wickedly.

"No," Merlin said. He tried to level out his voice.

"Then what is it?"

Merlin snapped. He whirled around to face Arthur, red-faced and fists balled.

"For God's sake, Arthur, why can't you just leave it?" he roared.

A stunned silence followed his explosion. Merlin regretted it as soon as he spoke, and Arthur's shocked and hurt expression caused him to feel even more guilt. What was going on with him? He never lost his cool like that! Somehow he always managed to stay calm and laugh it off. So why would he just lose it like that?

"I'm sorry," Merlin murmured. He picked up Arthur's boots, which were muddy from the previous day's training. "I'll go wash these."

Arthur just nodded, still shocked, and Merlin left the room.

_:::::::::::::::MERLIN:::::::::::::::_

The council meeting was called to order, and Arthur began his report.

"There has been no sign of Morgana or the witch Morgause since their disappearance five months ago," he began. "We have searched every inch of the kingdom, but they did not leave a trace. Our search parties have questioned every soul in Albion, and not one has seen them."

Uther exhaled sharply. "Then look harder! Send more men, tell them to spend every waking hour in search for them."

"Father, we've sent every man we can spare, and they are putting as much time as possible into their search," Arthur said. "If we could send more men, we would, but it happens that we have a more important problem on our hands."

Uther snorted. "What problem could possibly be more important than finding _them_?"

Arthur gestured to Sir Leon, and the knight stepped forward.

"During the search," Leon started, "none of the soldiers found any information on Morgana and Morgause, but we did catch wind of a very powerful sorcerer living nearby."

The door opened, and Merlin entered. He was red in the face and looking very out of breath, as though he had run all the way there. Blushing in embarrassment, he quietly made his way to Arthur's side.

"Nice of you to join us, _Mer_lin," Arthur said quietly. "What's your excuse this time?"

"I was helping Mary take some washing to the laundry room," Merlin replied.

Arthur raised his eyebrows. "And why haven't I heard about this Mary before?"

"Arthur," Merlin said, "she's a sixty-four-year-old cleaning maid."

"Oh." Arthur reddened slightly. "I see."

"Yeah."

"Are you two quite finished?" Uther asked impatiently.

Arthur nodded. "Yes, sir. My apologies for the holdup. Sir Leon, please continue."

"Thank you, sire," Leon said. "As I was saying, we heard news of a powerful sorcerer living in the kingdom. From the information we have gathered from a trust-worthy source who wishes to remain anonymous, this sorcerer is seeking out another, more powerful sorcerer, who is also living in the kingdom."

"Do you know the names of these sorcerers?" Uther demanded.

"The one searching is believed to be called Mey'es, and the one he is searching for we understand is known as Emrys," Leon told him.

Arthur saw a movement in the corner of his eye, and when he looked over he saw Merlin crossing his arms and looking very peeved about something. Arthur decided that he would ask about it later and turned his attention back to the meeting.

"Do we know why he is searching for this Emrys?" Carlos, a member of the council, inquired.

Leon shook his head. "We do not, sir."

"Yes we do," Uther said, strangely calm. Normally he was on his feet shouting for the sorcerers' heads on a spike by now. "He wants this sorcerer's help to overcome Camelot. That is what all of the others are after. Why would these two be any different? But now that we know of their plot, we can prepare. Arthur, tell your men to keep an extra sharp eye out for both of these sorcerers, and ready the army. We need to be ready for anything. We don't know what they have planned exactly."  
>Arthur bowed. "Of course, Father."<p>

"Good. Now, is there anything else to report?" Uther asked with a smile.

"Um, no sire, I believe that is all," Arthur said.

Uther's smile widened. "Good. Council dismissed!"

Merlin left the council room, more than slightly disturbed. What on earth had just happened? George, Uther's jumpy manservant, walked beside him.

"That was strange," Merlin said.

George shrugged. "Not really, if you think about it. Camelot was in a weakened state, of course some sorcerers are going to try and take over."

"Oh, I wasn't talking about the sorcerers," Merlin said. "I was talking about Uther. He was so strange. He was calm and in control. He didn't pop a blood vessel at the mention of sorcerers. He actually gave logical conclusions. Maybe he's enchanted," Merlin said thoughtfully.

George grinned. "Maybe so. Or maybe his encounter with Morgana caused him to shape up and regain control of his mind. Who knows, maybe he's changed."

Merlin gave a short laugh. "I wish. But I very much doubt it. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm taking my good friend Gwen out to buy her a dress."

"Oh, I didn't know you two were together," George said.

"We're not," Merlin said. "Were just good friends, and she's been so stressed lately that I want to do something nice for her."

"You're not, huh?" George said thoughtfully. "Hey, do you think that she and I could...?"

"No," Merlin said bluntly. "I know for a fact that she's interested in somebody else."

"Oh." George's shoulders sagged. "Alright." He glanced at Merlin. "Do you know who it is?"

"Yes, George, but I'm not going to tell you!" Merlin snapped, suddenly incredibly annoyed.

George flinched and took a step away from him. "Sorry, man, I didn't mean anything by it. I won't ask anymore."

Merlin's annoyance vanished. He sighed. "No, George, I'm sorry. I don't know why I got so mad."

"It's fine," George told him. "We're all still stressed from the invasion, and now we have two more sorcerers heading for us. I don't blame you for being on edge. Anyways." He clapped Merlin on the back. "Have fun with your friend. And if her interests ever change, let me know, alright? See you, Merlin."

_:::::::::::::::MERLIN:::::::::::::::_

"What about this color?" Merlin asked, holding up some peach-colored fabric. "I think you would look wonderful in it."

"No, it stands out too much," Gwen told him. "And I'm not sure if I like that shade all that much."

"Alright. What about this?" Merlin held up some deep purple cloth.

Gwen gasped, putting a hand over her mouth. "Oh! It's beautiful. I've been looking for fabric this color for _years_, ever since I was a little girl. My mother had a dress similar to it, but it never fit me," she said sadly.

"Well, this one will," Merlin informed her. "I'll buy the material, and then I'll make you the prettiest dress you've ever owned."

Gwen giggled. "Merlin, you can't make a dress!"

"You are very right," Merlin said. "But you aren't going to make it, either. Old Mary said that she would make it since I help her so often with the laundry. I hear she made some of Queen Ygraine's dresses herself. Besides, Mary is very fond of you and wants to participate in the gift."

"Thank you, Merlin," Gwen said, hugging him. "That's very thoughtful of you both."

Merlin purchased the material for the dress with the money he had been saving for the past four months. Then he and Gwen began to head back to the castle. Gwen chatted merrily away, just slightly ahead of him, and Merlin listened happily. He was glad to have cheered up his friend, and he was ready for dinner with Gaius after a long afternoon of shopping.

Someone suddenly grabbed Merlin's arm and pulled him into a back alleyway, and he was thrown forcefully to the ground. He lay there, completely winded, his vision blurred and his head spinning. He blinked, and his swimming vision began to focus. Next he knew he was staring into two gold snake eyes, the clammy hand of his captor slapped over his mouth.

**Okay, you have all been hypnotized by this chapter. You must now obey my every command. You will press the blue button and review my story. You will tell me any constructive criticism that crossed your mind while reading this chapter. You will keep reading this story because the ending was suspenseful. What do you say? Wait, you can't say anything! You're hypnotized! But in all seriousness, I am perfectly sane, I think, and I would very much appreciate it if you would review. Thank you all so much!**

**Owl Watcher**


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I have proof that Santa isn't real: I didn't get **_**Merlin **_**for Christmas. **

**Okay, I know this is random, but have you noticed how it seems that Uther loved Morgana more than Arthur? When Morgana fell down the stairs, Uther said that Gaius could use "any means necessary" to save her, *cough magic cough*, but when Arthur was bitten by yon questing beast, Uther did NOT give him that option! I SEE FAVORITISM AT WORK HERE! **

**Anyhow, below beith the next chapter. Commence admiring. **

_Chapter 2_

Merlin couldn't move. No one was holding him down, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not make his limbs obey him. It was those eyes. The swirling golden irises had him mesmerized, paralyzing him like a mouse before a hypnotic snake. He couldn't look away. He couldn't even blink. He was trapped.

"Merlin, I need you to listen to me," his captor whispered. "I don't mean you any harm, but I can't let you go right now. I need you to help me. Meet me tonight outside the palace doors at dusk. I'll explain everything then, I promise. If anyone asks, you're meeting with an old friend."

He let go of Merlin, and the warlock sat up in time to see a figure in a brown cloak retreating down the alley. He considered running after him, but then he remembered Gwen, and he didn't want to just run off on her. Perhaps that's why this man had chosen this moment to tell Merlin to meet him, so that the warlock would have to wait until the time he had been given. Merlin sighed and rose to his feet, dusting himself off before he hurried to catch up with Gwen.

Thankfully, Gwen had not noticed his disappearance and was not too far up the road. Merlin soon caught up with her and did what he did best: pretend that nothing happened. He acted completely normal, laughing with ease and keeping outwardly relaxed while his thoughts and worries whirled around in his head like a hurricane. Who was this stranger? Why did he want to talk to Merlin? Was it Mey'es? With eyes like those, how did he get into the city? Will he ask Merlin to help him take over Camelot? Will Merlin have to fight him when he refuses? Was the man working with Morgana? Should he warn Arthur about there being a sorcerer in Camelot? What was the man's name? If he didn't want to take over Camelot, what would he want with Merlin? Was Camelot in danger? Was Camelot not in danger? Was Camelot _ever_ _not_ in danger? And many, many more.

They reached the palace, and they paused after they entered. Gwen looked refreshed and less worn than she had that morning, and the cloud of worry had lifted from her eyes. For the first time in a long time, she looked happy and carefree. Merlin saddened at the knowledge that she wouldn't remain this way for long.

"Thank you so much for today, Merlin," she said gratefully. "I feel more relaxed than I have in months, and it's all thanks to you. If there's anything I can do to repay you, just let me know."

Merlin smiled. "All you can do is remember that I will always be there for you if you ever need a friend."

Gwen began to tear up, and she pulled him into a tight embrace. Merlin soothed her gently, trying not to feel embarrassed as a passing servant cast them a curious look.

"Shh, it's okay," he murmured softly. "It's okay." He didn't know what else to say. He had _no_ idea how to deal with emotional women.

Gwen pulled away, looking slightly embarrassed by her meltdown. "Sorry. It's just...you're such a good friend. You're so genuine and kind. I know that you are really my friend and that you would never lie to me. Thank you."

Merlin tried not to shift uncomfortably. He knew that she was referring to how Morgana had lied, pretending to be her friend while plotting to kill her and everyone she cared about. He tried to console himself by telling himself that he wasn't planning to take over Camelot, therefore his lie wasn't as large, but he didn't feel any better. The guilt from lying to her weighed even more heavily on his heart, and he wanted more than ever to tell her the truth.

"I should get going," Gwen said after a bit of an awkward pause. "Work to be done."

"Right," Merlin said. "Take care, Gwen. And remember, things will be back to normal soon enough, and you'll have more time to relax."

Gwen smiled. "I hope so, Merlin. I'll see you later."

She walked away, and Merlin went to give Mary the cloth and then finish the day's chores.

_:::::::::::::::MERLIN:::::::::::::::_

Merlin served Arthur his dinner in silence, stressing about his meeting with the strange man later that evening. Arthur was waiting for him to start talking endlessly about something or other, so he, too, said nothing. Thus the room was very quiet, and the servants that passed by were surprised not to hear their usual banter going on. Arthur glanced up at Merlin, who was staring into the wine pitcher with distant eyes. The prince sighed, not wanting to show that he was worried about his friend.

"What's the matter with you, _Mer_lin?" he asked, doing his best to sound annoyed. "You're being a real bore. Where's your usual incessant prattle?"

Merlin didn't answer.

"Are you still angry at me for teasing you about the dress earlier?" Arthur asked. "Look, I didn't mean it. I don't really think you wore it. I was just bored and that was something I thought I could tease you about."

Merlin shook his head. "It's not that. I've just had a long day."

"Did everything go alright with Gwen?" A twinge of jealousy lined his tone, and Merlin knew that the prince was envious of the time his servant was spending with her. While Arthur had been covering for his father as regent, they had had little time together.

"Yeah, everything went fine," Merlin said. "She misses you," he added.

Arthur smiled, satisfied by this answer. But he was not distracted for long. "Then why are you in such a dark mood?"

Merlin paused, trying to fish out an answer. "I'm worried that we haven't found any news on Morgana and Morgause. What if they're still alive out there, growing stronger?"

"I doubt that Morgause is still alive," Arthur said. "Gaius said that the blow Lancelot gave her to the head should have killed her instantly. As for Morgana, I doubt she will try again any time soon."

After the battle, Merlin had insisted that Lancelot took the credit for killing Morgause. Arthur would never have believed that Merlin had actually done it, and Merlin very well couldn't tell him the truth, that he had thrown her against the wall with magic. Lancelot felt uncomfortable taking the credit for Merlin's victory, but he had to admit that giving Merlin the credit could arouse unwelcome suspicion.

Merlin shrugged. "I suppose so. Will that be all?" Dusk was approaching, and he needed to be at the palace doors soon.

Arthur nodded. "Yes, you may go. And Merlin," he said as his manservant turned to leave, the prince's dirty dishes in his hands. Merlin turned to face him. "Try to be on time tomorrow. We have early training."

Merlin grinned. "Of course, sire. Good night."

He dropped the dirty dishes off at the kitchen, where the cooks tried to convince him that he was far too skinny and the kitchen maids flirted and vied for his attention, then he made his way to the palace doors. Outside he found the guards speaking to a woman in a brown cloak, the hood pulled up and over to hide her forehead and eyes. The rest of her face as hidden by a strip of dark cloth wrapped around her nose and mouth. Wavy dark brown hair billowed out from beneath the hood and fell several inches below her shoulders, and she wore a loose tan shirt tied at the waist with a belt of twine and black trousers underneath the cloak.

"Are you lost, sweetheart?" one of the guards asked her silkily. "Because if so, I can help you find what you're looking for."

"If it's any help, it's not you," the woman replied drily, and the guard's face contorted with anger.

"Watch what you say, little missy," he growled.

"I was only being honest," the woman said. "Would you rather I led you on and then dumped you? That wouldn't be very kind, now would it?" She spotted Merlin walking from the palace. "Merlin!"

The warlock was surprised. "Yes?"

"It's so good to see you again!" the woman exclaimed, walking towards him and hugging him. She whispered in his ear, "Go along with it. Call me Yezhan."

Merlin realized suddenly that he couldn't have been sure that he was meeting with a man. The only thing he had seen about his abductor before was the eyes, and he had been so hypnotized that he hadn't recognized the voice as male or female.

"It's good to see you too, Yezhan," Merlin said with forced happiness. He pulled away from the hug, and she looked up at him. He caught a glimpse of her eyes, deep emerald with slits for pupils. They flashed gold for a moment, and Merlin found himself gazing into the same mesmerizing snake eyes as before. The gold faded, and Merlin thought that maybe she was reassuring him that it was she he was supposed to be meeting.

"Let's walk, shall we?" she said, gesturing towards the emptying roads. They began to trudge down the street, watching as vendors closed up their stores, bringing their merchandise into their homes for safekeeping. It was still relatively bright out, light enough for people to not have to light their candles, and the smell of baking bread wafted their noses as wives made super for their husbands for when they returned home from work.

"What is it that you want, Yezhan?" Merlin asked as they walked. "How do you know me?"

"We have a mutual friend. The Great Dragon, Kilgarrah," she explained. "And I am actually known as Nahzey, but I couldn't risk the guards overhearing my real name."

"You know Kilgarrah?" Merlin said, surprised. He had not been expecting this. "How?"

"I was assigned as his guardian the day he hatched," Nahzey said, her voice proud and tender as she remembered that day. "I keep him safe from harm as best I can. Pretty much, I do all of his worrying for him."

"If you keep him safe, then how come he was captured by Uther?" Merlin asked suspiciously.

Nahzey looked at the ground. "No physical harm was meant towards him that day, so I did not sense any danger. Besides, I cannot overrule the call of a Dragonlord, even if I do sense danger. Not that I blame Balinor for calling him that day. He was deceived by Uther. If he had known of the tyrant's true intentions, he would rather have died than call Kilgarrah." She stopped walking. "Merlin, Kilgarrah is ill. Gravely ill, and I don't know how to heal him. It is unlike any other sickness I have ever seen. At first I thought that maybe it was a severe case of scale fever, but he seems to be wasting away, as though his magic is being drained from him. I think it may be a curse."

Merlin was alarmed. "A curse? But I thought that dragons were practically immune to any kind of harmful magic. Who could possibly be powerful enough to curse him?"

"I don't know," Nahzey whispered, distressed. "He hasn't left our cave in weeks. I've been the one finding us food, and I put up defensive spells over the cave when I leave so that no one other than myself can see it. It makes no sense. You have to help him! He is dying, and I don't know how to save him. In all my years, I have never seen or heard of anything like this."

"How can I help him of you can't?" Merlin asked helplessly. "I don't know anything about curses on dragons. I don't even know much about _dragons_, truth be told."

"But you can learn," Nahzey said earnestly. "You have the palace library open for you to use. Maybe you could find something that you can use to heal him."

Merlin nodded slowly. "I suppose there might be something I could find. Tell me, what are his symptoms?"

"It might be best if you see for yourself," Nahzey said. "If you scry for him, you'll be able to see his condition."

Merlin hesitated. "I've never scried before."

"Could you try?" Nahzey pleaded.

"Why can't you just scry for him?" Merlin pointed out.

Nahzey blushed and looked away. "My magic is...different from yours. Anyone who uses magic has a little bit of magic in their blood, but not enough to make them a creature of magic as you and Kilgarrah are. I, on the other hand, have no magic in me. I simply manipulate the traces of magic in the air left by a spell cast by a sorcerer. It allows me to do simpler magic like healing and lifting objects, but more advanced magic like scrying and teleportation are impossible for me to do."

"Oh." Merlin gulped. "Alright. I'll give it a shot. Do you know how I can do it?"

"You need a bowl of water, preferably a stone bowl," Nahzey instructed him. "For some reason wood doesn't work as well. The spell for it should be in your spell book." She glanced at the sky, which was beginning to turn an inky color. "You should return to Gaius before he gets suspicious. Meet me at the palace doors again at noon two days from tomorrow. If you find anything, we'll go to him and we will combine our abilities to heal him. If not, then we will ask Gaius to help us. He might be able to help you search, or he may know of the curse. However, I don't want to drag him into this unless it is absolutely necessary."

"Why not?" Merlin asked, curious.

Nahzey took a deep breath. "Gaius and I don't get along well. I'm afraid that if I ask him to help us, our quarrels would slow us down."

Merlin wanted to ask more, but he could tell that the subject was sensitive. So he let it go.

"I'll search every spare moment I have," Merlin assured her. "I will find the spell to heal him, I promise. I won't let him die."

Nahzey's eyes softened, and Merlin guess that she was smiling. "Thank you, Merlin. This means more to me than you can imagine. Now go."

He reluctantly left, looking back after several steps. But she was already gone.

_:::::::::::::::MERLIN:::::::::::::::_

"Where have you been?" Gaius demanded as soon as Merlin opened the door. "I've been looking all over for you."

"I'm sorry," Merlin apologized. "I went for a walk. It was such a nice evening."

Gaius sighed in disapproval. "You should tell me next time you plan on taking an evening stroll so that you don't have me worried that you've been kidnapped by a vengeful witch. Anyways, dinner's on the table. Eat, then get to bed. I'm sure Arthur has training planned for tomorrow since today was a council meeting. I'm sorry I couldn't make today's, rounds were rather full today. How did it go?"

"Fine," Merlin said, scarfing down his dinner. "No news on Morgana and Morgause yet, if they're still alive. And some sorcerer named Mey'es is searching for another sorcerer in Camelot."

"Mey'es?" Gaius repeated. "That sounds vaguely familiar, but I don't know why. I'm sure it'll come to me, sooner or later."

Merlin nodded, swallowing his last bite of food. "Alright, thanks for dinner. Good night."

"Finished already?" Gaius said, surprised. "Alright. Good night, then."

Merlin went to his room, sneaking one of Gaius' stone bowls with him. He had a pitcher of water in his room that he could use for the scrying. He poured some water into the bowl and retrieved his spell book from his loose floorboard. Using magic to find the spell, he began to quietly chant the spell. He was glad when it worked the first time, but his joy was short-lived as the image of Kilgarrah rippled into place, lit up by an unseen fire.

The dragon was lying on his back, his breathing labored with long periods of time between each rise and fall of his chest. He was missing several large patches of his scales, and the scales that remained appeared to be dry and thin. His eyes were caked in crust, and his claws were blunt and a sickly shade of yellow. Blood oozed from thin cracks in his dry, exposed skin, and his shriveled wings were folded around him in a cocoon. Smoke drifted upwards from his nostrils, and the air shimmered from the heat radiating from his body. Kilgarrah twitched violently every few seconds, his eyes opening and closing as he tried to sleep. The twisted expression of pain on his face was unbearable to look at.

Merlin quickly stopped the scrying spell. He stared into the bowl of now clear water, horrified at the image he had just seen. Kilgarrah was indeed dying, slowly and painfully. And Merlin would not rest until he had found the cure and taken down the one responsible for doing this to his friend.

**There you go. Commence reviewing. ****(please) **


	4. Chapter 3

**I am sooooooooo sorry that it has taken me so long to update! School and homework, and now swim practice has started up! Good grief, will there be any rest for the wearisome? Well, you didn't click on this story to listen to my whining, so I shall stop now. I hope you enjoy it, and please inform me if you find any spelling errors. The spell check on my computer is failing me. Enjoy!**

_Chapter 3_

Merlin yawned widely as he placed Arthur's breakfast tray beside the prince's bed. He hadn't slept at all last night trying to find information in the library on dragon curses, but of course there would be no more books on anything magical. And so Merlin had spent an entire night in the library, succeeding in doing nothing but waste time. Time that Kilgarrah was running out of. He had no idea what he was going to do next. Where was he supposed to find information on dragons? Unless he asked Gaius...

The warlock shook the thought from his mind. Nahzey had been very clear that she didn't want Gaius getting involved unless absolutely necessary. But when would he know when it was absolutely necessary? When Kilgarrah was an inch from death? If you asked him, it was already absolutely necessary. But he would wait one more day, try the records once more before informing Gaius of the situation.

Merlin took a deep breath, not really wanting to wake Arthur and have a full day of chores preventing him from his more important tasks, but he pulled back the curtains to Arthur's window. "Rise and shine!"

Arthur was a real pain that morning. He threw chore after chore at Merlin, who had to tackle those as well as accompany Arthur to training. It was as though the prince had an infuriating sixth sense that told him whenever Merlin had somewhere important to be. It drove Merlin insane, and he began to consider abandoning his chores for "running errands for Gaius", his usual excuse for when he ditched his work for magic-concerning ordeals. Seldom did he actually run errands for Gaius, but it was a better excuse than Gaius' usual one—which was that he was at the tavern.

Merlin decided on this approach, and so he went over to the council room, where Arthur was working on some document with Leon. The prince barely glanced up as he approached.

"Ah, Merlin," he said monotonously. "Good. Have you polished my armor yet? I need it done by tomorrow. Also, muck out my stables, and I also need you to-"

"Actually, I can't do any of that," Merlin interrupted.

Arthur looked up at him and raised his eyebrows. "What was that, Merlin?"

"I need to run some errands for Gaius," Merlin informed him.

"Oh?" Arthur didn't look convinced. "What kind of errands?"

"Oh, you know." Merlin gestured vaguely. "Some rare plant in the middle of the forest needs finding. I'll be back soon."

"Merlin, it's just a few hours from sunset," Arthur said.

Merlin shrugged. "So?"

"So you'll probably get lost, and then I'll have to send a search party out to find you," the prince said. "Why can't you wait for tomorrow?"

"It's an important ingredient in a cure for the...chicken...flu," Merlin stuttered.

Leon grinned. "The chicken flu? Sounds dangerous."

"Oh, it is," Merlin said, gaining confidence. "Gaius said it's coming back. Forty years ago, it was an epidemic. Huge, itchy boils, and bright red rashes all over you." He leaned in and whispered, "I hear it spreads through chickens that got bitten mosquitoes carrying diseases. If you eat a chicken that carries the disease, your whole face will swell and eventually erupt from all of the pus and infection, unless you get the cure in time."

Merlin held back a grin as Arthur struggled not to look horrified.

"Uh, yes," he said. "Of course. Gaius will need that cure. You may go."

Merlin bowed and backed away. He was about to leave when he heard Arthur mutter to Leon, "Have a servant tell the cook to dispose of all our chickens. Just until it's safe again."

George was not very fond of Merlin. It wasn't that Merlin was ever awful to him. In fact, he was quite the opposite, always asking how he was, if he needed any help with his chores. He was always easy to be around, and he was very likable. No, it wasn't that.

The truth was, George was jealous of Merlin. Before Merlin had come, George had been the star servant that everyone looked up to. Now, he was invisible whenever Merlin walked into the room. Before Merlin, all the maids had made time to flirt with him, and he had flirted back. Now, they flirted with Merlin and sighed when he passed, and the prince's manservant was completely oblivious to their attentions. Of course, this made the girls like him even more. Before Merlin, he was admired because he had managed to stay the servant to Uther for longer than anyone else. Now, Merlin was praised for being able to talk to Arthur as an equal and be able to put up with his moods. George looked back at the days before Merlin's arrival with longing. What had happened to all of that admiration? Where had all of the affection gone? Now he was alone with only his memories of past glory.

George sighed and stopped brushing Anmer, Uther's horse. The great war horse glanced back and whinnied in annoyance, wanting the soothing brushing to continue. George paid him no mind. He was done with Camelot. He had given it seven years of his life as Uther's manservant, and this was how he was repaid: by being passed over by an amateur servant who couldn't even polish armor correctly. George threw down the brush and stormed from the stable. He was quitting. He had almost made it to the king's chambers when he saw something that caught his eye. It was Merlin, glancing nervously about and heading in the direction of the library. George thought that he looked like he was up to no good, so he began to follow him.

He stopped at the door to the library and listened as Merlin asked Geoffrey for directions.

"...have any books about dragons?" Merlin was asking.

"Dragons?" Geoffrey said, sounding just as surprised and confused as George felt. "Why on earth would you want to read about dragons?"

"Well, ever since Arthur killed the dragon that attacked Camelot, I've been interested in learning a bit more about them," Merlin explained. "I thought that since they're all dead, there would be no harm in looking."

George heard Geoffrey give an understanding chuckle. "Ah, yes. Whenever knights come back questing and encounter a strange creature, they come in here and look for as much information on them as they can. I guess there's something about coming to within an inch of death while fighting something that really-"

"Uh, yes, that's it," Merlin said, his voice uncharacteristically annoyed. "I'm kind of in a hurry, if you don't mind. Gaius doesn't want me staying too long in the library. He says he has a few chores in mind for me."

"Oh, yes of course, I understand," Geoffrey said, not at all offended. "Books on dragons are that way."

George heard Merlin thank him, then footsteps slowly faded away, and the sound of Geoffrey's quill on parchment lightly scratched the air. George waited a few moments, then he entered the library. Geoffrey glanced up and smiled warmly at George.

"Ah, George, my boy!" he exclaimed. "That is so strange. Merlin just came in a moment ago. It must be a day for the curiosity of the manservants to arouse. How can I help you?"

"Actually, I'm looking for Merlin," he said. "I have some questions concerning who will be serving His Majesty and the prince this evening."

"Merlin is over in the North Wing," Geoffrey informed him. "I guess his encounter with the dragon a couple years back has peeked his interest in the ancient creatures."

George smiled somewhat impatiently. "Yes. Thank you."

He turned and walked north, his anticipation growing with every step. For some reason he was suspicious of Merlin's newfound interest in dragons. But then, all the dragons were dead, so there really could be no harm in looking into them. George just had a gut feeling that Merlin had not been completely honest with Geoffrey. It may have just been his jealousy causing paranoia, but you could never be too careful. Right?

Merlin was leafing through a thick, dusty book when George found him. He looked wild with desperation, then his eyes alighted with relief when he landed on a page near the end of the book. His eyes scanned the page carefully, and he muttered a few strange words, too softly for George to make them out. Then his gaze sharpened in confusion.

"Mandrake root?" he murmured. "Strange..."

He turned around so that he was facing George, and he looked up from the book. He let out a startled cry, nearly dropping the ancient book, then quickly slammed it shut and stuffed it back onto the shelves.

"George!" he said, breathing heavily. "You startled me. Do you need something?"

"Uh, I was just clarifying that I will be serving Their Majesties dinner this evening," George said. He really knew that Merlin was serving them, but he needed some excuse as to why he was looking for him. To his surprise and utter astonishment, Merlin nodded.

"Yes, you are," he said. He shuffled awkwardly and glanced about. "Well, I have to go. Chores to be done. Herbs to gather. I'll see you."

"Right," George managed, and Merlin brushed past him, obviously trying not to run. George stared after him, confused. Was Merlin trying to skip out on his chores, or had he truly forgotten that it was his turn, not George's, to serve the king at dinner? He couldn't see Merlin purposefully skipping out on his chores. As much as the boy hated them, he always got them done in the end. And he had always made sure that he never pushed off his chores onto others. George exhaled sharply, annoyed at this new responsibility. He obviously couldn't go back to Merlin and say that it was really Merlin's turn, because then Merlin might ask why he had even asked if he had already known the answer. And so now he had to serve the king and prince their dinner that night.

He was about to leave the library when he was struck suddenly for just one moment with a strong sense of curiosity. He turned back and pulled out the book Merlin had been reading. He flipped through the back pages until he came upon a page filled with a most horrifying picture. It showed a dragon lying on its back, its wings dried up and shriveled like a grape under the hot summer sun, its scales colorless and peeling, a thick fog of smoke rising from its nostrils. Its eyes were covered in a thin film so that they looked like pearly white orbs inside the eye sockets, and it had a look of such anguish that George could hardly bear to look at it for long. He quickly looked at the other page and saw a list of herbs captioned by: POTION OF THE ANCIENTS: DESTINY'S CURSE. George didn't recognize any of the herbs listed, and there was a jumble of strange symbols that he didn't understand. His eyes wandered to a short paragraph that seemed to be a description. It read:

_Destiny's Curse absorbs the soul of even the mightiest dragons. It is a slow, painful curse that only the most powerful of sorcerers can cure. Never before has one succeeded in saving the life of a dragon after the curse has been inflicted. Beware you that attempt this feat. For a soul to be saved after the twentieth sunset, a soul must be lost in its place. May the Old Religion hold you in favor, and may your dragon live._

George stared down at it, confused. He was sure that this was the page Merlin had been looking at. 'Mandrake root' was one of the ingredients listed. But why would Merlin, _Merlin_, of all people! be interested in curing a curse on a dragon? There weren't even any dragons left to cure!Besides, Merlin would have to be a sorcerer in order to cure any dragon, and of course Merlin was too...well, _good_ to be a sorcerer. All the same, George decided that someone needed to look into this. He couldn't go to the king. He would have Merlin executed before George could finish his sentence, and he very well couldn't tell Arthur. He would just laugh it off, or throw him in the stocks for accusing Merlin of such a thing, and the knights would never believe that Merlin would be even remotely interested in dragons. No, this was something that he needed to do himself. If Merlin was innocent of any mischief, then he would pretend that nothing had ever happened. If he found something that he didn't like, he would gather proof and present it to the king. He knew he wouldn't find anything to hold against Merlin, since Merlin could never do any wrong, but deep in his heart of hearts he wished with great passion that he would, that he could go back to a life where there was no more Merlin to steal away his life.

**Please review! I'll do my bestest of bestests to update sooner than it took me this time! Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing!**

**God bless.**

**OW**


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